Sunday, 9 May 2010

CONVENT SCHOOL # 1

St. Mary’s Convent School was founded by the Sisters of Sante Marie de Namur under patronage of the Bishop of Cardiff. The Sisters came to Rhyl in 1900. The school was formed shortly afterwards in what had been Bryntirion Hall, Russell Road. There was very little money to spend on the place.

Originally the project seems to have been a girls' school, partly a boarding school, which charged fees. Eventually, boys from the kindergarten across the road were permitted up to the age of 8. One of the boys was none other than Bill Ellis who, as you can see from the 1949 and 2007 pictures above, hasn’t changed a bit.

The book 'The Catholic Church In Rhyl 1854-2005' by Leslie Slee & Mary Owen (published 2006) lists thirty of the nuns including Sister Joan Marshall who was from Rhyl, and Sister Mary Francis who played organ
at St. Mary’s Church in Wellington Road.

The school closed in 1967; teaching continued for a while in buildings nearby. The old hall was demolished in 1971 to make way for the present housing estate St. Mary’s Court.